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Another Question For The Expats ....


gobbledonk

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King Mongkut - when he was still a Buddhist monk - remarked to his brother that "ours is a rather agnostic religion." But since it is human nature to desire someone (or something) to turn to for help, Thais have simply adopted Hindu divinities whenever they felt like it. Look at the shrines to Brahma, the ever present statues of Ganesha (the "elephant head god") etc. Many court ceremonies are straight out of India (e.g. the Ploughing Ceremony). Thais also have retained the pre-Buddhist spirit veneration, with the spirit houses, tree spirits etc. Thais may be Buddhists, but that doesn't stop them from being anything else when they feel like it.

 

As to expats "mastering" Thai, I have seen from experience that their mastery more often than not is nonexistent. The only way to become fluent in Thai is to use it all the time, and you don't get that sitting around in expat ghettos. I have heard Farangs "speak Thai" and their pronunciation was so bad that I couldn't understand a word they said. Thai has aspirated and unaspirated consonants, long vowels and short vowels - not to mention 5 tones. Get them wrong and no one will have a clue as to what you are trying to say. They come with practice, but most expats aren't willing to practice. I found the only way to really pronounce words reasonably correctly was to learn to read Thai. Once I did, I was amazed to see some of the sloppy pronunciation our language teachers let us get away with. I get complemented on my pronunciation all the time by Thais, but honestly it is not that good. What they mean is that they can actually understand what I am trying to say, which is fairly unusual for any Farang Thai "speaker". At least I realise I am mispronouncing a word as soon as it comes out of my mouth. That is a step in the right direction. :(

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As to expats "mastering" Thai, I have seen from experience that their mastery more often than not is nonexistent. The only way to become fluent in Thai is to use it all the time, and you don't get that sitting around in expat ghettos. I have heard Farangs "speak Thai" and their pronunciation was so bad that I couldn't understand a word they said.

 

That is, almost word for word, exactly what Stick said in a recent weekly column. I know he finds the deadline a pain in the butt, but having someone else ghost write his column ..... :neener:

 

Pronunciation is a tough one for me, given that some people struggle with my lazy vowels (born in the bush) but seem fine with 'Yankee speak', courtesy of TV and movies. Broken English, particularly with migrants from the Mediterranean, is usually intelligible even when they mispronounce words, and I find that most Indians put the emphasis on the wrong syllables, mimicing the cadence of Hindi, I guess. Dont even get me started on Malaysians and Singaporeans. For all that, its not rocket science once you have the context of the conversation - throw a Glaswegian into the mix and you might as well be watching the Filipino news service : occasional English words interrupting a steady stream of something from another planet. That's not an accent - its a dialect that has somehow survived globalisation.

 

Ultimately, you are right - 'parrotspeak' isn't much use if no-one can understand what you are saying.

 

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Seems like someone took a long, hard look at all that 'green grass' back home (ok, the land of his birth) and decided he is happier in chaotic BKK :

 

http://www.stickmanbangkok.com/StickmanBangkokWeeklyColumn2011/Stickman-Bangkok-Future.htm

 

In Stick's case, he has the luxury of being able to make that decision - I expect that there are teachers and others who don't have that luxury. Its 'relocate or perish'. Imagine the first Winter back in Britain or Europe ....

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I'm interested to know how many here feel they have reached, or are perilously close to, their 'use by' date in Thailand ?

... crawls out of the woodwork....

 

'Use by' date?!

I take it you mean getting sick and fed up with what-you-thought-was-paradise that has turned into something else in the light of day?

 

Not everyone came here with less than a handful of 'Thaiglish' phrases, a bit of cash, and a rented apartment with revolving doors strategically situated within striking distance of Nana/ Cowboy / Farang ghetto.

 

As with any country in the world, you either adapt (if you're here for the long term) or bite the bullet and go back to where you came from. The bitter taste in your mouth may just be self-afflicted.

 

I've been resident here for the best part of twenty years, sometimes I wonder how time has passed by so fast. It usually helps if you have an understanding of the culture and language, not that it'll get you any brownie points with the locals. It only helps to place you. You take it from there.

Acceptance comes through understanding; if you understand how the flow goes, it makes sense to go with it. Though I must admit that at times I prefer to let it flow around me. Go against it and you might as well throw in the towel and go home.

 

Which brings home another truth. I can't go 'home' as I am now a stranger in my own country. I can't/ won't fit in any more. Been here too long, got the t-shirt... And the mia, kids, dogs, house, mia, house, car...

 

Home(s) is/are here.

 

I'll get my hat now...

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Not everyone came here with less than a handful of 'Thaiglish' phrases, a bit of cash, and a rented apartment with revolving doors strategically situated within striking distance of Nana/ Cowboy / Farang ghetto.

 

 

Ouch ! Still, I do know at least one longtime expat who DOES own a condo within easy walking distance of both Cowboy and Nana. Horses for courses.

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It's amazing isn't it?

In conversation the other day I said "yes, but the Australian's do it this way....".

It's the first time I've said that with the same inflection I'd use when talking about Americans or Bulgarians etc... about "someone else".

 

I don't consider myself Thai either, and a government department back in Oz, which shall remain un-named, recently unsuccessfully tried to declare me a non-resident.... of ANY country.

 

Edit: Just out of curiosity what do you miss about the US? :confused:

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The Yanks and Brits are all right. It's them bloody Strine bastards that cause the problems. ;)

 

p.s. What do I miss about the US? Friends, family, Mexican food, relaxing in our acre garden (Thais think a yard should be concrete and not more than 2 feet from the walls), Lodge meetings, being able to get into a car and just drive anywhere without fighting horrible traffic ... maybe just the peace and quiet. (Our home is in an historic district but in walking distance of a Thai restaurant!) I have a number of books I want to finish writing that are sitting at home waiting for me. These days in Bangkok I'm almost a hermit. Go to work, come home, too much trouble to go out in the evening so I stay put. (Once upon a time you could travel across Bangkok in 15 or 20 minutes. Now it takes me maybe half an hour just to get to the BTS.)

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Move to the provinces, there's provincial universities.

Nice houses with gardens going cheap, I'm 20 kms from town, in 30 minutes leisurely driving I'm eating Mexican, European or a 4 star hotel buffet.

I'd say anything you can buy in BKK you can get here now, and if you can't, well gee, use the cheap flights and you're in the big smoke for the day.

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